Inverter with two switching stages for driving lamp
First Claim
1. A multi-stage switching inverter comprising:
- a first switching stage configured to periodically couple an input current through a primary winding of a transformer in alternating sense to generate a primary AC driving current, wherein a secondary winding of the transformer conducts a secondary AC driving current with a proportional amplitude and a relatively high AC voltage;
a rectifier circuit coupled across the secondary winding to generate a relatively high voltage and substantially DC current source; and
a second switching stage coupled between the outputs of the rectifier circuit and inputs of a lamp load, wherein the at least two semiconductor switches in the second switching stage are directly coupled to the lamp load and wherein the at least two semiconductor switches alternately conduct to generate an AC lamp current through the lamp load.
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Abstract
An efficient and flexible current-mode driver delivers power to one or more light sources in a backlight system. In one application, the current-mode driver is configured as an inverter with an input current regulator, a non-resonant polarity-switching network, and a closely-coupled output transformer. The input current regulator can output a regulated current source in a variety of programmable wave shapes. The current-mode driver may further include a rectifier circuit and a second polarity-switching network between the closely-coupled output transformer and a lamp load. In another application, the current-mode driver delivers power to a plurality of light sources in substantially one polarity by providing a regulated current to a network of time-sharing semiconductor switches coupled in series with different light sources coupled across each semiconductor switch.
239 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A multi-stage switching inverter comprising:
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a first switching stage configured to periodically couple an input current through a primary winding of a transformer in alternating sense to generate a primary AC driving current, wherein a secondary winding of the transformer conducts a secondary AC driving current with a proportional amplitude and a relatively high AC voltage; a rectifier circuit coupled across the secondary winding to generate a relatively high voltage and substantially DC current source; and a second switching stage coupled between the outputs of the rectifier circuit and inputs of a lamp load, wherein the at least two semiconductor switches in the second switching stage are directly coupled to the lamp load and wherein the at least two semiconductor switches alternately conduct to generate an AC lamp current through the lamp load. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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6. A multi-stage switching inverter comprising:
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a first switching stage configured to periodically couple an input current through a primary winding of a transformer in alternating sense to generate a primary AC driving current, wherein a secondary winding of the transformer conducts a secondary AC driving current with a proportional amplitude and a relatively high AC voltage; a rectifier circuit coupled across the secondary winding to generate a relatively high voltage and substantially DC current source, wherein the rectifier circuit is a pair of half-wave voltage doublers, each of the half-wave voltage doublers comprising two diodes and two capacitors; and a second switching stage coupled between the outputs of the rectifier circuit and inputs of a lamp load, wherein semiconductor switches in the second switching stage are directly coupled to the lamp load and alternately conduct to generate an AC lamp current through the lamp load.
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7. A multi-stage switching inverter comprising:
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a first switching stage configured to periodically couple an input current through a primary winding of a transformer in alternating sense to generate a primary AC driving current, wherein a secondary winding of the transformer conducts a secondary AC driving current with a proportional amplitude and a relatively high AC voltage; a rectifier circuit coupled across the secondary winding to generate a relatively high voltage and substantially DC current source, wherein the rectifier circuit is a pair of half-wave voltage doublers, each of the half-wave voltage doublers comprising two diodes and one capacitor; and a second switching stage coupled between the outputs of the rectifier circuit and inputs of a lamp load, wherein semiconductor switches in the second switching stage are directly coupled to the lamp load and alternately conduct to generate an AC lamp current through the lamp load.
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12. A method to drive a lamp using at least two switching stages, the method comprising the acts of:
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operating a first switching stage at relatively high frequency to produce a relatively high voltage AC current source, wherein the first switching stage is coupled to a primary winding of a transformer and the relatively high voltage AC current source is generated in a secondary winding of the transformer; rectifying the relatively high voltage AC current source to a relatively high voltage DC current source; and alternately conducting at least two semiconductor switches in a second switching stage at relatively low frequency to generate an AC lamp current through a lamp load, wherein the second switching stage is directly coupled across the lamp load. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A multi-stage switching inverter comprising:
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means for generating a relatively high voltage AC current from a substantially DC current source, wherein the frequency of the relatively high voltage AC current is in a first range of frequencies; means for generating a relatively high voltage and substantially DC current from the relatively high voltage AC current; and means for directly coupling the relatively high voltage and substantially DC current across a lamp load in alternating sense with at least two semiconductor switches to produce an AC lamp current through the lamp load, wherein the frequency of the AC lamp current is in a second range of frequencies that is lower than the first range of frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
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Specification